Free template
Large party reservation policy template
Policy wording for parties of 6, 8 or more: card on file, set menus, gratuity disclosure and the phone-first rule, in casual and formal versions.
Large parties are where no-shows hurt most and where policies earn their keep. A missing eight-top on a Saturday is not one lost booking, it is a re-plotted floor and two turned-away walk-ins. The standard playbook: a party-size threshold (usually 6 or 8), a card on file or deposit above it, a tighter cancellation window, and phone-first booking for the biggest groups.
One operator's version, verbatim from the r/restaurantowners thread linked below: "for parties 6+ we require a card on file, $25/head if they no-show or cancel inside 24h. solved about 80% of the problem within the first month."
Sources for the figures on this page
Casual version
Booking for [6] or more? We are glad to have you. Large tables are held with a card on file, and we ask for [24] hours notice for cancellations or big changes to your headcount. Inside [24] hours, a fee of $[20] per absent guest applies, because a table that size is hard to re-fill. Parties of [10] or more: give us a call at [phone] and we will set it up properly, including menu options that keep a big table moving.
Formal version
Reservations for parties of [6] or more at [Restaurant Name] require a payment card at booking. Cancellations, or reductions in party size, made within [24] hours of the reservation are subject to a charge of $[25] per affected guest. Parties of [10] or more are arranged by telephone at [phone] and may require a deposit of $[25] per guest, applied in full to the final bill. A gratuity of [20]% is added to parties of [8] or more, and this is stated on the menu and at booking. We hold large tables for 15 minutes past the reserved time; please call if you are delayed.
Headcount-change line
Your table is set for [8]. If your party shrinks by more than [2] guests inside [24] hours, the late-change fee applies to the empty seats, so tell us early and we will resize the table instead.
How to use this well
- Set the threshold where your floor actually hurts: rooms full of deuces and four-tops usually pick 6; big-table rooms pick 8.
- Charge per absent guest, not per party, and say the word "seats": guests understand paying for seats they reserved and left empty.
- Disclose auto-gratuity at booking and on the menu, not on the bill. Surprise service charges generate the reviews you do not want.
- Route the biggest groups to the phone. Above roughly 10 covers you are planning a small event: set menu, timing, deposit, one point of contact.
Questions
Common questions
Most operators draw the line at 6 or 8. Below that, an ordinary card hold policy covers you; above it, the cost of a no-show justifies the extra friction, and guests booking big tables expect it.
Want the system these templates plug into?
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